'All Pakistanis stranded abroad to be repatriated by July 20'

ISLAMABAD: All the Pakistanis stranded in Europe and the Middle East will be brought back to the country by 20th of this month, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the National Assembly on Friday.

Speaking in the lower house of Parliament, he said PIA has been operating special flights to bring home Pakistanis stuck in European and Middle Eastern countries.

Thus far, 54,116 stranded Pakistanis have been brought to the country in a dignified manner, the minister said, adding those in Europe and the UK were also being flown in through chartered flights.

Also Read: STRANDED PAKISTANIS TO BE REPATRIATED IN A WEEK: PIA

Khan said overseas Pakistanis are the country’s precious asset and contribute immensely to the country’s economy. Their remittances reached $29 billion during the last fiscal year, he pointed out.

Earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had announced to repatriate Pakistani citizens stranded in different countries within a week.

Spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez in a statement said arrangements have been finalised to repatriate the stranded Pakistani citizens and added that two Boing 777 aircraft were ready to fly to Bahrain.

“The airline will bring back thousands of stranded Pakistanis within a week,” the spokesperson said.